


Flowers & Demons

by Luminous_Witch (Alexander_Weird)



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Aromantic Bill Cipher, Asexual Bill Cipher, Asexual Pacifica Northwest, Bill is an art major, Dipper Pines is a model, F/F, Ford is a Professor, Gideon needs to calm down, Human!Bill, In which Stan is dead, LGBT, Mabel is Mabel, Other, Pacifica is also goth, Tad needs to get a life, aroace Bill Cipher, but that's not the character death the story revolves around, supernatural hijinks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:13:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26715025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alexander_Weird/pseuds/Luminous_Witch
Summary: 18 year old Bill Cipher wants nothing more than a quiet few years at college, content to study and impress his professors. But soon an old classmate of his complicates things. And what's going on with those strange occultism students?
Relationships: Bill Cipher & Dipper Pines, Bill Cipher & Mabel Pines, Bill Cipher & Pacifica Northwest, Bill Cipher & Tad Strange, Pacifica Northwest/Mabel Pines
Comments: 3
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

“Have you seen the dorms yet?” Bill’s mother said through the video call on his laptop. “I heard they finally opened this week.”

“Just moved in last night, actually.” Bill responded with a grin, leaning back in his chair a little. “It’s bigger than I expected. Want a full tour?”  
  
“Maybe later. I don’t have much time this morning and I’m sure you’ve got things to do.”

“What things? School doesn’t start for another week.”

“You know what I mean, Billy.”

Bill’s mind went back to all the conversations he’d had with his mother towards the end of his senior year, telling him of all the friends he’d make and all the things he’d see and do.

“Are you sure you want to go to this college?” His mother asked for about the fourtieth time. “You know, the U of M said they were more than happy to keep a spot open for you in case you changed your mind. And you’d...be closer to home, if anything ever happened.”

“I’m sure, mom. The lifestyle of the big city just doesn’t suit me. And besides, after everything that happened senior year I just need something calm, and simple. Just...trust me.”

“I do. I’m so proud of you, and I know you’re going to do great. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“I’ll let you go, now. Keep me updated?”

“Definitely.” Bill grinned, fingergunning at the screen before ending the call.

Bill stretched in his chair and swiveled around, taking in his surroundings for the second time that morning. He was inside a square, light taupe-colored room which held two beds, a bookshelf, a closet, a dresser, a table, some chairs, and a desk, upon which lay his laptop. It was decently sized, and Bill felt like he might actually be able to relax in here. On the other side of the room lay his suitcase and a few boxes. Having only just been moved in since the previous day, he hadn’t been able to do much so far, but he had managed to unpack his clothes and make his bed up.

The other bed was currently taken up by a sleeping figure with white hair, whether dyed or albino Bill couldn’t tell. At least, Bill thought he was asleep until he said, _“Who the hell is awake at 7am and happy about it?”_ All the while glaring at him with icy blue eyes. His accent was something southern and he looked no more than 15 years old.

“Normally, not me, but I’m feeling pretty good today!” Bill laughed, “Plus, ya gotta put on a good face for your mother, you know?”

“No, I don’t.” The figure’s eyes narrowed. “Now would you mind bein’ quiet? Classes don’t start for another week and I’m tryin’a get in as much shut-eye as I can. If you would be so kind.”

The boy rolled over and pulled the blanket over his head, grumbling.

“Yeesh, alright. Geez, I’ll get out of your way.” Bill rolled his eyes. He walked over to his bed, grabbed a bag with a single strap attached to it, slung it over his shoulder, and left the room. Bill exited the dorm building, officially known as “Dormus Triangulum” - the third dorm building - and stepped onto the pathway that led from the dorms to the main campus grounds. At this time in the morning, Bill could only see about twenty or so other students walking around. Millenium College wasn’t a particularly large school, which Bill was grateful for. A mist hung in the air, giving Bill a refreshing feeling. The year was on the verge of the Fall season, and the weather lay perfectly between warm and comfortably cool. Although as it was still technically summer, Bill was sure that it was only bound to get warmer later in the day.

As Bill walked along the path, he surveyed his surroundings for the first time. To the west and the north lay the seven interconnected buildings that made up the college. On the north side of campus, not too far from the buildings, were a triad of trees overlooking the grounds. Beyond the campus property, Bill could see a dense pine forest that stretched out in every direction, or so it seemed. And on the other end of the campus lay the parking lot, which extended to the other side of the dorm buildings. He was only just able to see it past the dorms and college buildings. Bill knew that there was a town not too far from the college as well, but he hadn’t had a chance to properly visit it yet.

Bill stopped walking, stretched his hands out in front of him and posed his fingers in a square shape, aiming them at the campus buildings and peering through them with one eye open.

“Too close.” he frowned. “But maybe…” he aimed his finger-square toward the north, where the three trees stood, and looked through it for a few moments, then nodded. “This will do.”

Bill stepped off of the path and walked a little closer to the campus building before sitting on the grass, still damp with the morning dew. He reached into his bag and pulled out a sketchbook, a few pencils, and a large eraser. Bill opened the sketchbook and flipped through the pages. Images of various things from fruit to animals to people to some outright original creations stared out at him. Seeing them gave him a sense of pride; it was a show of all his hard work. It had only been a passing hobby for him, but he did enjoy what he had managed to create.

Finally, he reached a blank page. He gazed out at the myriad of trees and the forest beyond, taking in their shapes and their energy. Then, as he had so many times before at the start of a new project, Bill closed his eyes, breathed in slowly, then exhaled. As he opened his eyes the vivid colors of his surroundings bled into focus, and he smiled.

“Perfect.” He said as he brought his pencil to paper, and began to draw. Bill barely felt the time pass as he sketched out each detail onto the paper. With the scratching of the pencil and watching as the lines connected and interlaced with each other a sense of peace came over him. He smiled, knowing that even if it was bad, he was still creating something – still leaving an impression. It would be something to show for himself, a legacy, even. Of course, he was getting too far ahead of himself. But it felt nice to imagine.

Bill was so engrossed in what he was doing that he didn’t notice anyone come up to him until he heard a voice chuckle, “Wow. That’s terrible.”

Bill turned around as far as his torso would let him, until he came face to face with a girl with blonde hair wearing black eyeliner, a black lace choker, a black dress and a pair of platform shoes. Very alternative. Bill raised an eyebrow at her, “What, haven’t you ever heard not to judge an artist while they’re still in progress?”

“That would depend on the subject of the art, I think. But sure. For a sketch it isn’t...the worst.” The girl admitted.

“Hey, that’s exactly what I hope to be! Not terrible!” Bill grinned.

The girl laughed at that. “Smart aleck.”

“I aim to please.”

“I should probably introduce myself. I’m Pacifica. Pacifica...Northwest.” The girl seemed to hold her breath, as if waiting for a reaction of some sort. But whatever it was she was looking for, Bill didn’t know.

“Cipher. Bill Cipher.”

Pacifica stared at Bill for a moment. “Cipher? Cryptic as hell.”

“Yeah, I get that a lot.” Bill laughed. “But hey! You learn to live with it.”

“I suppose you would. You get used to a name, I guess. Anyway, Bill...is there any chance you’d be interested in a party?”

“A party?” Bill frowned. Memories in his mind resurfaced of rooms full of a ton of people, synth music blasting, and drinks that might or might not be spiked. He hated those memories. “Not my thing, sorry.”

“It’s not a big party or anything.” Pacifica tried to coax him. “It’s just a small gathering at my dorm. Maybe ten people max? Just a few friends and fellow newbies. Perfect for introverts and people who find major parties...unappealing. Get to know a few people? Plus, you could meet my girlfriend. I get the feeling you two would hit it off really well.”

Bill thought about it for a moment. “Well, long as nothing too crazy happens and I don’t feel like I’m metaphorically being strangled alive, then sure. I’ll drop by.”

“Perfect. Come by room 108 in the first dorm building. Party starts at eight tonight.”

“Sounds good.”

As Pacifica walked away, Bill took his phone out of his bag and checked the time. The screen read _9:07 a.m._ He’d been working on his drawing for the last hour and a half. He looked down at the page he’d been sketching on. It was coming along but the sketch still looked rather rough and he’d only gotten about a third of the forest done – the woods sloped upwards on a collection of hills and it would take time to fully capture it. But looking back at the drawing now, Bill couldn’t help admitting that Pacifica was right – it could hardly be considered professional. Still, he reasoned, that’s one of the reasons he was at this college. To learn.

Bill worked on his drawing for another hour before deciding to call it a day and closing his sketchbook, promising himself to continue another day. It was then that Bill’s stomach started up like it was in a band and Bill remembered he’d sort of skipped out on breakfast that morning. Vowing to remedy that, Bill made his way to the cafeteria, which he found after getting turned around a few times. It wasn’t normally open outside of the school year, but now with students moving into the dorms and in preparation for the new school year, the cafeteria was up and running. Bill paid for two large sandwiches, one for now and one for later, and some juice and ate quietly while scrolling through instagram. He’d gotten a fair amount of likes and comments on his latest post, a photo of him laughing outside in a thunderstorm with his hair soaked, with the caption: _If I was rain I’d enjoy soaking your socks! Have fun sleeping tonight!_ He spent some time liking and replying to his favorite comments, which helped to pass the time.

Suddenly, a chill went through Bill’s spine and he got the vague feeling that he was being watched. He turned around in his seat and looked around. The only other people in the cafeteria were a girl with brown hair and a guy with dark hair. The girl seemed to be focused on what the guy was saying, and the guy was faced away from Bill, so Bill couldn’t see his face. Neither of them appeared to be watching him, but Bill couldn’t shake the bad feeling he was getting. He finished his sandwich quickly and decided to get the hell out of there.

Bill spent the next couple of hours familiarizing himself with the campus buildings, so that he’d actually have some idea of where he was going during the year. Not that it mattered much, seeing as how he would mainly be going between the Arts and Language buildings for the semester. But of course that didn’t mean he couldn’t be prepared for semesters in the future.Posters lined the halls advertising clubs, student resources, and local job openings. Bill looked them over momentarily, deciding to keep the information stored in his mind for later.

After feeling like he had at least a better understanding of the campus layout, Bill returned to his dorm room. By that time it was about 1 in the afternoon. Bill’s grumpy roommate had disappeared somewhere, which meant that Bill had the room to himself. Bill sat on his bed and logged into his school account, and found an email reminding him to pick up his textbooks, which he made a note of. There were also some updates on the school website telling students about campus safety. Bill chuckled when he read that, considering the odd feeling he’d gotten earlier in the cafeteria. Bill saved the page and logged into Netflix, deciding to get caught up on a show he’d started earlier that summer. It had a nice mix of sci-fi and suspense, the way Bill liked it.  
  
Around 5 in the afternoon, Bill’s roommate walked back in the room. His hair was wet, so Bill assumed he’d just gotten a shower. Bill paused what he was watching and cleared his throat.

“So uh, how’s the water?”

His roommate stared at him in confusion.“How’s the what-now?”

“The...your hair’s wet there, sport.” Bill pointed towards his roomate’s wet hair. “Or did you forget about your own assets?”  
  
“Assets?” The roomate chuckled, running his fingers through his albino hair. “Why, thank you! It’s about time _someone_ noticed. Well, you see, it’s a long story. I won’t bother you with the details, don’t you worry about all that now. Well now that we’re getting’ properly acquainted why don’t we introduce one another? I’ll go first. Folks ‘round here know me as Lil’ Gideon – but you can just call me Gideon. Full name’s Gideon Gleeful.”

  
Gideon extended a hand and a grin towards Bill in greeting. Bill stared at the hand for a moment, wondering if he should take it, then shrugged and met Gideon’s hand with his own.

“Gleeful, huh? Nice to meet’cha. Name’s Bill. Bill Cipher.”

Gideon’s grin remained but his eyes narrowed, staring daggers at Bill. “Just Gideon, thank you.”

“Good to know.”

“So listen, Billford-”

“Bill.” Bill noticed the microagression – payback?

“Bill, of course!” Gideon exclaimed exaggeratedly. Bill wasn’t sure which he disliked more – the clear sarcasm, or the fake laughter that followed. “I was just thinkin’ that maybe we got off on the wrong foot earlier, and I don’t want to cause a rift between the two of us before we’ve even started the year, so I’d like to extend to you my deepest apologies. If you’ll forgive me, of course.”  
  
“Uh...sure.” Bill said with a raised eyebrow, not knowing what to make of Gideon.

“Oh, wonderful! Just a lil’ ol’ heads up for the future: I tend to be more foul-headed in the mornin’. Don’t take it personally, I can never seem to enjoy the mornings much to save my knee! Sorry again for this mornin’.”

“Consider it water under the bridge.” Bill said, resting his hand in his palm. “So tell me something, Gideon. You seem awfully young to be in college. You can’t be older than what, fifteen?”

“I’ll actually be sixteen tomorrow. And to answer your question, I’ve worked hard as I could to get to this point, make no mistake. So don’t you go underestimatin’ me, understand?

“Oh yes, uptight one.” Bill rolled his eyes.

Gideon chuckled; it was the type of chuckle that uttered, _“don’t test me”_ under its breath. “I’m gonna ignore that lil’ quip o’ yours. Anyway, you got anything on the agenda tonight? I’ve got a game of charades that I think you’re just going to _love_.”

“As a matter of fact, there’s some kinda party I’ve been invited to.”

Gideon’s eyes lit up. “Ooh a party! How nice. Who’s the host?”

“Oh, it was some sorta goth girl. Said her name was Pacifica...Northwest?”

“Pacifica...Northwest, you say?” The change in Gideon’s demeanor was immediate. His eyes shifted from side to side, his eyes furrowed, his hands balled themselves into fists, and his face turned red – though this was a red of frustration, rather than embarrassment. His next words were almost icy.

“How nice.”

Bill blinked, trying to figure him out. Gideon seemed hot one minute, and cold the next.

“You alright, kid?”

“Peachy.” Gideon smiled, still clenching his fists. “If you’ll excuse me.”

Gideon turned around and marched back out of the room, fists at his sides. What was it about Pacifica that had made him react like that? And then again, there was the way that Pacifica had looked at Bill before as she introduced herself, almost as if anticipating a volatile reaction from him. Exactly what sort of reputation did this girl have?

‘ _Guess I’ll find out one way or another.’_ Bill shrugged.

He resumed his show and continued watching, eating his remaining sandwich when his eyes weren’t glued to the screen. At around 7:30 pm, he began to get ready. He put on a comfortable cream shirt with a brown plaid pattern and a pocket, some brown pants to match, and some brown shoes with white laces. Inspecting himself in the mirror, his own blond hair and ocean blue eyes stared out back at him as he checked out his outfit. It was casual, but Bill thought he looked quite nice. He grabbed his bag and was just leaving the room when he ran into Gideon once again.

“Oh, leavin’ already?” Gideon inquired, all former traces of frustration gone. Bill felt a little suspicious of that for some reason, but he brushed the feeling aside, not wanting to think the worst of someone he’d known for less than twenty-four hours.

“Yep. Time flies, as they say!”

“It does indeed. Gideon nodded. “You take care, now.”

“I’ll do that.”

“Oh, and Bill?”

“Hmm?”

“Watch out for Pacifica. She can be...trouble, if you’re not careful.”

Before Bill could ask what Gideon meant, Gideon disappeared into the room and closed the door behind him. Bill stood there for a moment, perplexed by him yet again. Pacifica, when he had met her, seemed decent enough. Sure she had poked a little fun at his drawing, but Bill had figured that was all in good humor.

So what exactly did Gideon know that he didn’t?


	2. Chapter 2

As Bill entered the first dorm building, he noticed there were a couple of students struggling to get someone’s bags and boxes into one of the dorm rooms about halfway down the hall. Reminded Bill of himself the previous night. He was lucky his summer host had been kind enough to help him out then, too. He definitely would have been too exhausted to even properly make his bed if he’d had to do it on his own. Looking down the hall, Bill could see doors with numbers set across them, increasing in count the farther down the hall they got. He began to walk down the hall, and around the time he was passing room 106 he began to hear music spilling out from room 108, which lay slightly ajar.

_Oh, you’re killin’ me right now_   
_You’re killin’ me, killin’ me right now_   
_I think it’s time you burned me...down…_

As Bill approached the room, he knocked, which was met by a self-assured, “Come in!”

Bill let himself in, a little surprised to see some other people had already arrived. There were three girls sitting on a couch and a guy sitting in a chair laughing together. Pacifica was sitting on what Bill assumed to be her bed, scrolling through her phone, and in the corner of the room was a lo-fi playing some indie music, which permeated the room and sent vibrations through Bill’s body. In front of the couch was a small table which held snacks and some drinks, and against the wall in front of that stood a small television.

As he entered, Pacifica looked up from her phone and walked over, giving him a small smile.

“You made it.”

“Hey, I said I would, didn’t I?” Bill shrugged.

“That you did.” Pacifica turned towards the group sitting on the couch and cleared her throat to get their attention. “Hey everyone! Listen up. This is Bill Cipher. He doesn’t seem like a total loser so I want everyone to be decent. Got it?”

“Loser?” A girl with wavy brown hair said. Bill recognized her as the girl he’d seen at the cafeteria earlier that day. “Pacifica, I thought you weren’t going to talk like that anymore. Come on.”

Pacifica’s face turned pink. “Mabel…”

“ _Paz.”_

Pacifica grimaced. “Ugh, fine. He’s...cool. I guess.”

The girl smiled. “Better.”

“Anyway, let me introduce you to everyone.” Pacifica said to Bill. She started from the leftmost side of the couch, where a girl with shoulder-length, flame-colored hair and silver eyes sat. Black eyeliner lined the outside of her eyes, giving her a hawk-like appearance. “This is Octavia Wren, my roommate.”

“Ayo.” Octavia gave Bill a two-fingered salute. Bill gave her a polite wave in return.

Next was the brown-haired girl. “This is Mabel Pines, my girlfriend.” Pacifica introduced her. Mabel wore a pastel blue tank top, a frilly pink skirt, a cat-ear headband, multi-colored scrunchies on her wrists, and a pair of pink-LED high-tops. Bill couldn’t help but notice how different her style was as opposed to Pacifica’s – one being bright and colorful, whereas the other was gaunt and dark. He couldn’t help but wonder how two people so different could end up liking each other. Or maybe it was those very differences that they had learned to appreciate in each other.

“Nice to meet you.” said Bill. Mabel smiled brightly in return.

“I’m so glad to meet you! You know, Pacifica was worried about making friends here. I told her not to worry about that-”

“Mabel-” Pacifica started, embarrassed.

“So of course when she told me about you I was so excited! And any friend of Pacifica’s is a friend of mine! Course she acts tough, but don’t fall for that. She has her own charms.”

“ _Mabel!”_ Pacifica protested. “Just...stop, please?”

Mabel giggled, “Well _somebody’s_ gotta look out for you.”

Pacifica rolled her eyes, “I know. That’s what I love about you. Just...maybe tone it down a bit?”

“I make no such promises.”

The others on the couch laughed in response to that. It seemed that their personalities were as different as the way that they dressed. And yet, Bill couldn’t help but notice that despite that, the two of them seemed to mesh with and compliment each other well. There was something about them that made him feel at ease, and he found himself smiling at their little exchange of banter.

“Anyway,” Pacifica continued, gesturing to a Korean girl wearing glasses who was sitting next to Mabel, “this is-”

“Hello! I am Candy Chiu!” The girl interjected, “I am Mabel’s best friend.”

“...yeah. Pretty much.”

“Heya, Candy.” Bill waved at her.

Candy shifted her glasses and looked Bill up and down in scrutiny. After a few moments she giggled and said, “당신은 매우 키가 크다. I like you.”

“Oh, uh...thanks?” said Bill, unsure of how to respond.

“And last but not least,” said Pacifica, gesturing towards the guy sitting on the chair. The guy had hair dyed tropical blue with a lavender ombre, and blue-gray eyes, “this is Damien Tin. He’s the only one of us who’s been here for more than a year. If you’re also a college freshman, that is.”

“Oh, yeah, I’m as new as a baby being born!” Bill remarked.

“ _Ew!”_ Mabel laughed.

Damien laughed, “That’s right nasty, but not a bad analogy. I guess you could say that all freshmen are like babies being born.”

“Oh my god.” said Pacifica.

“No wait, it makes sense.” Damien continued, “you know nothing yet, like a fetus. So you have to rely on your teachers and your fellow, more experienced students, to teach you. Let me show you the wonders of life my children!”

“Holy shit.” said Bill.

“Damien, knock it off with your fucking philosophies or I swear I will excommunicate you from my room so fast your head will spin.” Pacifica threatened.

Damien chuckled. “Okay, chill. I was just joking. But seriously, if you guys ever want some help with studying or organization I’m your guy. I’ve picked up a few tricks so just give me a call if you ever need anything.”

“I’ll get right on that, Casanova.” Bill said sarcastically.

“Oh, Mabel?” said Pacifica, “Could you come look at something? I wanted to get your opinion on a color scheme for a design.”

“Sure, Paz!” Mabel chirped. She and Pacifica went over to Pacifica’s bed, where Pacifica opened up her laptop so that Mabel could see. They began to talk, though not quite loud enough for Bill to hear from where he stood.

“Come sit.” Candy said to Bill, patting the now open seat on the couch. Bill hesitated for a moment, then sat down.

“So guys,” Olivia started, “Horror, romance, or fantasy? What’s your poison?”

“What?” Bill asked, confused.

“You know, your favorite genre. We’re picking out a movie.” said Olivia, gesturing towards the television.

“I choose romance!” said Candy.

“I say Sci-Fi.” said Bill.

“Sci-Fi, really?” Olivia groaned, “But that’s so _boring_. Watching a bunch of people do...science and shit. Fake science, at that.”

“Well I dunno, I’d hardly say that aliens are boring. Or fake, for that matter.”

“Dude, the genre is called science _fiction_. Come on.”

“There’s plenty of evidence throughout history that they exist, you know.”

Olivia laughed, “Okay, are you for real right now? Do you even hear yourself? Damien, help me out here.”

“Ahaha, well,” Damien began, “as someone who has no ground to stand in the field of whether or not aliens exist, I abstain from the matter. I do, however, think that Sci-Fi is a kick-ass genre.”

“Suck-up.” Olivia rolled her eyes. “Well, as room occupant, I get final say. And I say...fantasy.”

“Yo, Olivia!” said Mabel, “If you already decided on the type of movie, why did you ask?”

“It’s polite!”

“Wait, Pacifica, you get a say, right?” Mabel turned to her girlfriend.

Pacifica shrugged, “So long as it isn’t porn, I don’t care.”

“Yes!” Olivia exclaimed, picking out a movie from a bookshelf which looked identical to the one in Bill’s room. The others groaned.

The movie played in the background, but besides for Olivia, the others were only half paying attention. Olivia didn’t seem to mind though, since she’d already seen the movie before. As the movie progressed, Bill talked with the others, getting to know them a bit. Both Candy and Octavia were from Gravity Falls, while Damien had come from New York, which surprised Bill. New York had a larger variety of prestigious colleges and universities to choose from, plenty of which were easily accessible. So why would he choose a college all the way across the country? When he asked about it, Damien simply laughed and said, “It’s cheaper.” Bill never thought of it like that, but he supposed he was hardly better – he’d chosen the college for its location as well.

“So what are you guys studying?” Bill asked about twenty-five minutes into the movie.

“I am an English Literature major.” said Candy.

“Philosophy.” said Damien.

Olivia took a moment to think. “You know, I haven’t really figured it out. Maybe I’ll just get my generals done and join a union.”

“Ooh, I hear those have good benefits.” Candy remarked.

“Right?”

“Sounds like a solid plan.” Bill nodded.

“What about you, Bill?” Damien asked. “What are you studying?”

“Oh, well, I’m still figuring it out, but I think I’d like to do something with art.” said Bill.

“Oh, you like art?” said Candy. “Mabel likes art too! What type of art do you do?”

Bill reached into his bag and pulled out his sketchbook. “I can show you, if you like.”

Olivia paused the movie. “Now this I gotta see.”

Candy, Octavia, and Damien all watched as Bill opened his sketchbook and showed them a few drawings. It was mostly landscapes and still life, and only about half of them were colored, painted in by watercolor. The sketches themselves were rough in nature, but on the colored pieces the watercolor seemed to sing, playing with the viewers’ heartstrings. The colors played in a dance of colors both realistic and not, bringing out more of the scene’s personality than would initially meet the eye.

“Oh. Oh wow, that is beautiful.” Olivia remarked.

“Holy shit dude, that’s awesome!” said Damien “Ten out of ten.”

“Mabel!” Candy called over to the bed where Mabel and Pacifica were sitting.

Mabel looked over from her spot on the bed, her ears perked up. “Yeah, Candy?”

“You have to come see this! You’re going to love it!”

Mabel got up from her spot and came over, standing behind the couch. When she saw Bill’s sketchbook she let out an excited gasp.

“ _You’re an artist!_ Pacifica, you didn’t tell me he was an artist! Look at those lines! The expressionism! The color!”

Bill chuckled, “Oh, no, no, I’m just a beginner really. I’m nothing special.”

“But...your art is so cool! How long have you been practicing for?"

“Well I’ve always sort of had an interest, but I didn’t really start getting into it until this past summer.” Bill responded, “So I guess you could say that for all sakes and purposes I’m a beginner.”

“It looks amazing either way. I’ll definitely have to show you my portfolio sometime!” Mabel gasped, _“We could do art idea exchanges and stuff! That would be so much fun! Please tell me you want to do art brainstorming!”_

“Um...okay?”

Mabel squealed. “This is perfect! I have to get some stuff done before classes start but I’m sure we can work something out. Why don’t we meet next Wednesday in the Arts building, say...4 pm? I would meet earlier but I have a class on that day. What do you say?”

“Sure, why not? Sounds fun!”

“Uh oh,” Candy giggled, “Bill made a new friend!”

“Shh, don’t tease him, Candy!” said Mabel. “Oh, but Bill, you have to show me more of your art! What’s your favorite drawing?”

“Oh, it’s-”

“Hey everyone!” A new yet familiar voice suddenly said, cutting over Bill, “Hope I’m not too late to the party!”

Mabel looked up and smiled, “Tad! I was worried you weren’t coming!”

“Ah, nah, just got a little turned around on the way here.”

Bill choked suddenly. Tad? It couldn’t be…

Hesitantly, Bill looked up from where he was sitting to see the source of the voice, and instantly regretted it. Standing there was Tad Strange, an old classmate of his from High School. Bill suddenly realized that this must have been the person Mabel was talking to when he’d noticed her in the cafeteria earlier. Bill wrinkled his nose; had he followed him here too? Not that he was surprised. He forced himself to withhold a groan and looked away. Mabel got up and led Tad around the room, introducing him to Pacifica and Olivia.

“And this is-” Mabel started.

“Bill Cipher.” Tad Purred. Bill felt as though a bucket of ice were churning through his stomach, and he narrowed his eyes. He wanted to be anywhere but here. If he’d known that Tad was going to be here, he would never have come to this stupid party.

“You two know each other?” Pacifica asked, raising an eyebrow.

“We’ve met.” Bill said icily. Tad smirked. His eyes flicked over to Bill’s sketchbook, and Bill promptly closed it. The last thing he wanted was for Tad to see any of it.

Candy looked at Bill in confusion. “I thought you were going to show us more drawings?”

“I’m...not feeling like it anymore.” Bill remarked. “Sorry.”

“Oh, okay.” Candy said, disappointed. Tad shrugged and followed Mabel as she introduced him to Octavia and Damien. Pacifica glanced between Bill and Tad, trying to figure them out.

Bill put his sketchbook back in his bag and released a sigh. “I’m just...gonna get some air.”

Bill got up from the couch and left the room, standing in the hall. As he checked his phone, he could see that it was around 8:30 pm. He hadn’t even been at the party for an hour. It wasn’t by much, but he could feel a slight vibration coming from the room’s speakers sending tremors through his hands. Or was that him shaking?

“God…”

“Bill?”

It was Pacifica coming out of the room, with less of an attitude and more concern in her eyes. Bill wanted to be left alone, but at the same time he figured that it might not be a terrible thing to have someone to talk to. Even if for a little bit.

“How can I help you?” Bill gave her a half-hearted smile.

Pacifica scoffed. “Please. If anything, I should be asking _you_ that. You looked like you’d seen a ghost as soon as that guy walked in.”

Bill grimaced, “That obvious, huh?”

“Oh, yeah. So spill. What’s the deal with you two?”

“Oh, it’s nothing really, just...we were friends once upon a time. Then he started pulling some stuff that...rubbed me the wrong way. So I’ve tried to keep my distance. But it seems that somehow, wherever I go, he’s always there. Even at this stupid college, and this stupid party – no offense.”

Pacifica laughed. “None taken. Honestly, I’ve been there before – having to stay away from other people, for the sake of my own sanity. If you chose to bail on the party, I wouldn’t blame you.”

Bill’s face brightened. “Really?”

“Definitely.”

“Thanks. I think I’m gonna split, actually. This was a great party, by the way.”

“Thanks! I’m glad you think so. And I’m glad you were able to show, even if it was for just a little bit.”

Bill gave Pacifica a two-fingered salute, releasing a breath that he’d been holding. “Well, see ya.”

Bill walked down the hall, eager to put as much distance between himself and Tad as possible, and had almost made it to the entrance when he heard Pacifica shout, “Bill, wait!”

Bill turned around to see Pacifica running after him. He let her catch up to him, then let her catch her breath for a few moments. She took a notepad and pen out of a pocket in her dress, wrote down something, then tore the paper out of the pad.

“Here...this...this is my number.”

Bill raised his eyebrow, “I thought you were…”

“No, no, me and Mabel are definitely dating. So don’t get this twisted! Just...if you ever need someone to talk to...I’ve had my own fair share of stuff to deal with before, so...if you ever needed it...you could talk to me. But I swear if you start using this as an opportunity to flirt with me I will gouge your tongue out, got it?” Pacifica threatened him, her face red with indignation.

Bill took the paper and laughed, “Oh, you definitely don’t have to worry about that.”

“Oh. Well. Good.” Pacifica huffed. “Take care.”

“You too.” Bill chuckled, and left the dorm building.

*~.*~.*~.*~.*~.*

When Bill arrived back at his dorm room, Gideon was on his phone, talking to someone.

“Well, o’ course it’s a good idea, I-” Gideon looked over his shoulder to see that Bill had come back. “Sorry, sugar, I’m gonna have to call you back. We _will_ talk later.”

Gideon hung up the phone and turned around. “So, back already? Granted, you stayed longer than I would have, but still. She chase you out?”

Bill got the feeling that if Gideon were in his shoes, he wouldn’t have gone at all. He shook his head. “Not in the least. The party was actually decent. Better than the trash at my High School. What’s your beef with Pacifica, anyway?”

Gideon frowned. “She’s a sneaky lil’, two-timin’ snake, that’s what. Stole what’s rightfully mine right from under my nose.”

“What did she take?”

“She-” Gideon was interrupted by his phone ringing. He scoffed. “Of all the...hello?” he answered in annoyance. “ _What?_ I told him not to touch a damn thing! Don’t do anything, I’ll be right there.”

Gideon hung up the phone and sighed. “Seems I gotta take care o’ somethin’. Just...watch your back with Pacifica, ‘kay? I gotta go.”

Gideon put on a jacket and took a briefcase of all things with him as he left the room. Bill watched him strangely as he went – he just couldn’t figure Gideon out. What could Pacifica have taken from him that made him dislike her that much? Despite her attitude, she seemed nice enough when she’d talked to Bill that evening. She didn’t even blink twice when Bill wanted to leave because of Tad. If anything, that had to count for something, right?

Bill took out the paper with Pacifica’s number and stared at it for a moment, considering it as he thought over both his and Gideon’s experiences with Pacifica. Finally, he decided that he should decide what type of person Pacifica was based on his own experiences, not someone else’s. He saved the number in his phone and smiled a little. Even though Tad was here now, it felt good to know that there was someone on his side.

Bill unpacked the rest of his belongings, taking things out of their boxes and placing them where he thought they best fit – books and movies on the bookshelves, and clothes in the drawers. Before long he was finished, and having nothing else to do he took out his phone and scrolled through social media for a few hours before changing into his pajamas and going to sleep.

When Bill woke the next morning, he noticed Gideon sleeping in the other bed – he must have returned sometime late into the night. Quietly, Bill left the room and went to the bathroom to take a shower. As the water flowed over his skin, he allowed it to pull all of his worry and stress down the drain. He let out a deep breath as he forced himself to relax. Tad was here, he had to face that. But that didn’t mean he had to give Tad that control over how he was feeling. This was college now, after all – a new start. He wasn’t about to let Tad ruin that for him. There were about 600,000 square feet on campus, so hopefully it wouldn’t be too hard too keep his distance from Tad.

And for the most part, this seemed to prove true. As the week progressed, Bill hardly ran into Tad, to his relief. Whenever he did see Tad, he noticed that he would arrive on campus in his car – the 1980 Ford model – giving Bill the impression that he must be living somewhere off campus. Which was fine with Bill; that just made it easier to tell when he was arriving and leaving, and easier for Bill to avoid him. And strangely enough, Tad didn’t seem to be seeking him out. Then again, he was probably busy trying to get ready for the semester, the same as Bill was. Bill had no problem with that.

Gideon didn’t bring up the subject of Pacifica again, and Bill didn’t prompt him to. The day after the party Bill texted Pacifica thanking her for what she’d done, which she seemed pleased about. The two of them became fast friends, and began to text back and forth regularly. Besides for that, Bill spent most of his time in the days leading up to the new semester either drawing or reading.

By the time the new semester started, the subject of Tad had all but drifted to the back of his mind, and after some confusion he’d finally managed to get his books from the school store. On Monday morning, he looked over his schedule about five times:

**Introduction to Photography, 10am-12pm. Prof. Ned Mealy, Room A1083 (W)**   
**Illustration 101, 1-4 pm. Prof. Ella Wendell, Room A1027. (M, W)**   
**Literature 101, 1-3 pm, Prof. Nora Marks, Room L2130. (F)**

So his first class of the semester was Illustration. Anticipation flooded his senses as he checked his things to make sure he had all the materials he needed for class. Brand-new sketchbook? Check. Graphite and ink markers? Check. Weird rubber eraser? Check check and double check. Now all that he needed to do was to wait for class to begin.

About an hour before he was due to start class, Bill sent an email to his mother detailing what had happened to him so far over the past week, noting the new friends he was making, and yes, even telling her about Tad. He didn’t want to imagine the phone call he’d receive from her later when she read about _that_. But he couldn’t blame her. She was just being protective, as she always was. Bill appreciated his mother a lot – he didn’t know what he’d do without her.

After finishing up his email, Bill grabbed his materials for class and left his dorm room. He had yet to completely memorize the layout of the campus, but he at least knew where the art building was, so he walked there and went in. Bill saw about twenty or thirty students milling about, a small number of them anxiously and confusedly looking over their own copies of the campus map, while others looked quite comfortable, some of them in small groups talking to each other. It was easy to tell who was new and who wasn’t just by looking. Following his own map, Bill managed to find his own classroom easily. Upon entering, he saw that a number of other students had already arrived. What fascinated Bill the most was the diversity in age that could just be seen. There were a number of younger people like himself, sure, but there were also students that could easily have been in their forties and fifties, and some even older than that. It amazed Bill that people like these could all come together and learn about something even later in life. The thought filled him with excitement and anticipation. Suddenly, someone tapped Bill on the shoulder. Bill turned around, and to his pleasant surprise he saw Mabel standing there.

“Hi! Looks like we’ll be having class together!” she said cheerfully.

Bill smiled brightly at her. Oh, he had a good feeling about this semester.

“Looks like we will.” Bill Chuckled.


	3. Chapter 3

Tad rolled over in bed as the alarm went off. His head was throbbing – had he had enough water? He couldn't remember. He groaned as he reached over and shut off the alarm. Still half-asleep, he tried to remember his dream – it had been a good one. Or was it a memory? The way thoughts in his mind blurred, he couldn't tell. His hands running through the other's hair, intermingling breaths...hands clasped together, uncertain, unwary. Just the thought of it brought a warmth rushing over his face. Tad touched his lips absentmindedly, longing for that touch again. But then he remembered the reality: he'd done everything he could to hold his interest, and yet somehow, in the process, he'd lost him. In fact, he probably hated him now.

Even so, Tad couldn't help the smile that crept onto his face. He'd actually seen him, at a party of all places. He'd expected to see him some time, but he didn't expect it'd be so soon. Not that he was complaining.

"Bill Cipher..." He smirked, playing with the name on his lips. He was going to the same college as Bill, now. Of course, that wasn't by accident; that was made certain by his parents. Any door would open with the right amount of money. Of course, no one would ever admit it – anyone would shut up if you paid them enough.

Tad hadn't expected it, but he was pleasantly surprised to see Bill at the party he had gone to by chance. He wished he'd gotten more of a chance to talk to him, but Bill had basically fled from the scene as soon as he'd seen him. The look of dread on Bill's face was a stark reminder to Tad that he had his work cut out for him if he was ever going to get Bill to see him in a positive light again.

"...why are you never easy?"

Slowly, Tad raised himself into a sitting position and stretched. He could hear cars rushing by just outside the window, but inside his apartment it was quiet. A stark reminder that he didn't have his parents to rely on anymore, just himself and his own wits. Various clothes were strewn across the floor currently, the aftermath of last night; he'd been at the party until well past midnight, and by the time he'd come back, he'd been far too tired to even properly change into pajamas. As it was, he was currently only wearing a pair of boxer shorts beneath his bed sheets. Before Tad could fully get his bearings however, his phone rang, still in the pocket of his jacket that he'd worn the previous day. Tad stumbled out of bed, tripping over his feet as he reached his jacket and pulled out his phone. The caller I.D. showed that the call was from Tory Anh, his boss from work.

"...Hello?" he answered, yawning.

" _Strange, where the hell are you? I've been calling you for the last half-hour! You're on the shift this morning, remember?"_  
  
"Wait, what?" Tad checked the time quickly. The clock read 8:34 am – he was supposed to have been up an hour ago. "...Shit. I'll be there in ten minutes, I swear."

Tory sighed. _"You'd better. We're currently running without our security detail – that's not good."_

"I understand. It won't happen again."

" _Don't make me regret hiring you_ _r ass._ _"_ Said Tory, before hanging up.  
  
Tad sighed. It looked like he'd have to skip breakfast again. He quickly put on his security uniform, grabbed an apple for the road, and hurried out the door. He was soon on the road in his 1980 Ford Fairmont, and minutes later he arrived at work. It was a generic general store, one of a chain of stores of the same name, selling everything from groceries to clothes to makeup to electronics. There was even a little bistro where people could go to get coffee, specialty meals, and pastries.

Tad meandered in through the employee entrance, clocked in, and looked over the schedule to see his responsibilities for the day: reviewing the security footage, patrolling the perimeter of the store, and keeping an eye out for suspicious activity. Same as always. Tad nodded and followed through with the instructions. Besides for the few times he noticed his boss giving him the stink-eye, everything for the most part was pretty uneventful.

The next day Tad was off of work, so he drove down to the college to check out the campus and meet some of the professors. He figured that as long as he was going to be at this college, he might as well make the most of it. Looking around, he couldn't help but admire the scenery. It was very beautiful here, and if it weren't for the college campus sitting there one might assume this corner of the world was untouched by man. But even more interesting to Tad was the rumored surplus of supernatural activity, which had been another reason to come to this college in the first place. He loved learning everything about the supernatural, from aliens to gravity-changing stones to merfolk. There was just something about it that tickled his brain.

Today he was scheduled to meet with his Occultism professor, a man who went by the name of Ford Pines, or as he would be calling him, Professor Pines. Funny, didn't the girl he met the other day have the name Pines as her surname as well? What was her name again...Mabel? It was almost as if the two of them could be related. The thought made Tad chuckle.

Tad entered the Student Services building, commonly known as the Hub. People were milling around with an air of excitement and anticipation, not yet having the pressures of the upcoming semester. Tad followed the adjoining halls past the Activities Building and the Arts building, until he reached the Social Arts building. He soon came across a hall lined with doors, each labeled with a different staff member's name. Finally he came upon a door labeled, "F. Pines – Occultism". Pensively, he knocked on the door and waited until he heard a measured, "Come in" from the other side.  
  
Tad opened the door and stepped inside. Sitting at a desk was an older man reading a book, who Tad assumed to be Ford Pines. The professor wore a pair of square glasses, a maroon sweater-vest and a shirt, brown corduroy pants, and a pair of brown shoes. The man had grey-white hair and appeared to be somewhere within his late eighties. Upon seeing Tad come in, the professor closed his book and set it down on the desk.

"Hi, Professor?" Tad started. "I'm Tad Strange. I'll be in your Beginner's Occultism class this semester. I just wanted to introduce myself."

"Ah, it's always good to see a fresh face." said Professor Pines with a smile. "What can I do for you, Tad?"

"I was just wondering what exactly we would be studying? I'd like to have a good idea of the material so that don't end up falling behind."  
  
"Oh, nothing too strenuous, so long as you stay on top of the monthly readings, and there will occasionally be tests based on the class assignments. But, if you really want to get ahead...I'll tell you what. In the college library they hold a fairly sized collection of occult books. If you go there and ask the librarians to direct you to section O-699, you should be able to find some good occult reading material. I can give you a list of books I recommend for beginners, if you like."

As Tad was about to respond to Professor Pines, something outside the window caught his attention. Or rather, someone. Sitting on the grass not too far away from the office was Bill Cipher, drawing on a sketchpad. He wasn't facing the window directly, but Tad would recognize that face anywhere. As Bill looked up from his sketchpad to observe his surroundings, Tad couldn't help but notice how serene and focused he looked. Not like at the party the other day. A new wave of determination came over Tad; he _would_ make Bill take notice of him once again.

Professor Pines cleared his throat. "Mr. Strange?"

Tad blinked; he'd nearly forgotten where he was. "Oh, sorry. Yes, I would like that."

"Wonderful." Professor Pines smiled and wrote down a list and then handed it to Tad. Tad thanked him and said a polite goodbye, then left the office. He wound around the maze of buildings that made up the college, searching for the exit that led to the area he'd seen. It took him another fifteen minutes to finally find it, but by the time he'd arrived there, Bill had already gone.

On Wednesday Tad sat at a table in the break room, sandwich in hand, when a woman with dark loose ringlets of hair that held a vivacious bounce and dark umber-colored skin walked into the room. Tad recognized her from the cashier line in the store but he had no idea what her name was. She passed through and went into the adjoining room which held the employee lockers, but a minute later she was back holding what looked like a lunch bag. A homemade lunch? Tad had to admit, he was a little jealous. He'd had to get something from the store's food section. It wasn't bad, but it didn't compare to something homemade.

"Hey," the woman said to Tad, "mind if I sit here?"

Tad nodded and gestured to the seat across from him in a "by all means" motion, and the woman slid into the chair.  
  
"Thanks." the woman said with a smile. "You must be new here - I don't think we've met before. I'm Naomi. What's your name?"  
  
Tad finished chewing the piece of sandwich he was eating before he answered.

"Tad Strange."

"Tad Strange." Naomi paused, as if testing out the name on her tongue. "Nice to meet you."

"You too."

Naomi smiled and unfolded her bag, then began to take out its contents: a bottle of juice, some macaroni n cheese, and some chicken. Tad couldn't help feeling jealous – he'd never been particularly good at cooking, and he envied those who could. Pushing his envy away, Tad took another bite of his sandwich to distract himself. Naomi followed suit, starting to eat her mac n cheese.

After a few moments, Naomi asked, "So how's your sandwich? Good?"

Tad shrugged. "It's alright. Probably not as good as what you've got."

Naomi seemed to catch the envy in Tad's eye before she glanced down at her food momentarily. "I suppose. I don't think it's all that special. To be honest, I think your sandwich looks kinda good."

Tad raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah?"  
  
"Well...I might also be used to my own stuff. Guess we'll never know."  
  
Tad thought for a moment, before an idea popped up in his head.

"Wanna trade?"

Naomi's brows furrowed. "I know you did not just ask me that after you've already bit into that thing."

"What if I cut off the bit part?"  
  
Naomi looked thoughtful, considering the offer.  
  
"Alright. Why not?" Naomi finally said.

"Okay, then." said Tad. He reached into the pocket of his uniform and pulled out a plastic knife that was held in a plastic wrapper. He took the knife out of the wrapper and used it to cut the bitten piece off of the sandwich, then gave the rest of the sandwich to Naomi, who gave him some of the chicken in return. Tad bit into the chicken, letting the flavor melt across his tongue. As he did so, Naomi bit into the sandwich, and her face fell into a state of relaxation.

" _This is delicious."_ They both said simultaneously, then burst out laughing.

"I guess this is a case of the grass being greener on the other side." Tad remarked, grinning.

"Yeah, I guess so!"

The two of them ate in silence for a few minutes, then Tad's phone vibrated, indicating he'd received a message. He picked up his phone and saw that he'd received a message from Mabel.

 **||** **Mabel:** Hey Tad! Do you want to hang out today? Me and Candy are going to Lazy Susan's diner if you wanna come :)||

Tad stared at the message for a few moments before responding.  
  
|| **Tad:** Sorry, no dice! Gotta work today. You have fun, though.||  
  
|| **Mabel:** Aw okay :P||

Mabel's message had Tad thinking back to the party last night. He had enjoyed meeting everyone, but what struck him was when Mabel introduced him to her girlfriend, Pacifica. Mabel was so bubbly, and Pacifica in comparison, seemed quite aloof. It seemed strange to him that they liked each other. But regardless of that, they genuinely seemed to care about each other.

Something about that realization felt...bittersweet to him. Why did other people have their happy ending? While he was...

His nails dug into the palms of his hands. For a day, it almost felt like he could forget about his misery. But even here, even now, he couldn't escape it.

"Naomi?" he asked, causing Naomi to look up from her food in curiosity.

"Yeah?"

"Did you ever...have a falling out with someone?"

Naomi's expression turned pensive for a moment. "Well, sure. I've had lots of falling outs with people."

"What about..." Tad paused for a moment, wondering if it was a smart idea to say this to someone he just met. Wondering if she would even understand. "...what about someone that you liked?"

"Someone that I liked?"

Tad nodded, "Yeah. Like say...someone you used to date. But aren't dating anymore."

Naomi leaned in with interest. "I sense a story here."

Tad took another bite of his sandwich tentatively, chewing slowly as if he could will Naomi and her curiosity away. But a minute later she was still there, ready and eager to hear what he had to say. Seeing that she wasn't going to go anywhere, Tad sighed.

"Do you really want to know?"  
  
"Well, you've got my interest. And I'm curious."

"Alright, I guess. Here goes." Tad shrugged, putting his sandwich down on his plate. "So there's this guy that I knew back in High School. We were friends. Good friends, in fact. Then one day I told him that I liked him. Which he _seemed_ fine with at first, but...as our relationship progressed, he seemed to grow distant. It wasn't as though he were afraid of me or disliked me. He just seemed to be having a hard time figuring out if it was the right thing for him. So I tried to do little things for him, like take him on bird watching dates, and checking on him when he was stressed. Hell, I even gave him space when he asked for it! But it never seemed to be enough. _I..._ was never enough. And before I knew what was happening, he cut me out of his life. And now we're in the same college, and the last time that we were in the same room he barely saw me for two seconds before he ran!"

Tad curled his hands into fists, and his face reddened in frustration. He could hardly help it; there was something invigorating about Bill that he couldn't resist, and didn't know how to get over. Naomi watched him patiently, her expression unreadable. For a few moments Tad forgot how to breathe, taking in air faster than his brain knew how to process. Eventually though, his breathing evened out as a cooling sensation took over his chest.

He sighed. "I just...don't know what to do."

"Take my advice, Tad?" said Naomi, "Don't go chasing after him, honey. The more you chase after him, the more you'll chase him away. So stop chasin' him! Make your time and energy valuable. Don't just fall over yourself trying to please this boy. If you really want him you need to give value to him, and chasing after him is clearly not giving him value. That's desperate, and he can smell that. What you need to do is be his friend, and before you know it he'll be begging to spend time with you. Got it?"

Tad stared at Naomi skeptically. "How do you know that that'll work?"

Naomi gave Tad a knowing smile. "Let's just say your story reminds me more than a little of me and my man. Just...try it out. If it doesn't work, feel free to bite my head off."

"Bet."

"Good. Now, let's say you see this guy on campus tomorrow. What are you gonna do?"

"I...I...try to...calmly ask him about his day?"

"Wrong." Naomi corrected. "You said he's running right now, which means that he clearly wants space. So you give him space. After you give him space, you can think about having a little chit-chat. But for now? No. Absolutely not."

"Damn, you're smart."

"I try to be." Naomi smirked.

Tad and Naomi talked for the following fifteen minutes until Tad's break ended. Tad found out that Naomi had just moved to Gravity Falls with her boyfriend the previous year, two years after graduating from High School. She enjoyed gardening and wanted to start a soap business. She overall had a very no-nonsense approach to life, but there was a kindness and joy about Naomi that Tad found he appreciated. By the end of Tad's break, he and Naomi had become friends.

The remainder of the week passed by without too much excitement. Most days Tad traveled between his apartment, work, and the college campus. At first he didn't see his now ex...friend? Boyfriend? Well, whatever the case, one could definitely say they were ex...everythings. But two days after initially meeting Naomi for the first time, as he pulled onto campus in his old beige Ford, he saw Bill sitting, as he had seen him earlier in the week, drawing on that sketchpad of his. Desire burned within Tad's chest as he watched him. He wanted nothing more than to walk over to Bill and ask him about his drawings, ask him about his day, maybe play with his hair...

But if Naomi was right, then...maybe it would be better to give him space. Even if it hurt. Even if he wanted nothing more than to run to him. If it meant that Bill could bear to even stand in the same space as him again, it would be worth it. And so for now, he would watch from a distance.

For all that Tad had to endure however, there was something to be said about the calm that had come across Bill's face as he worked on his drawing. It was the kind of calm that Tad hadn't seen cross his face since the previous year, and there was something so precious about the sight of it that Tad dared not disturb that peace. Not now, at least. And so, hidden just on the far side of campus, Tad endeavored to stay out of sight.

Soon enough, he broke away from his hiding spot to go to the library, where he read one of Professor Ford's book recommendations: _Mythical Mundane_. All the while a smile spread on his face at the memory of Bill. If Tad could just preserve the serenity he'd seen before, maybe coming to this college wouldn't have been a total waste.

The following Monday, Tad was due to start his Occultism class, and not having a shift that day, his morning was left open to prepare for his class. After lunch came and went, he checked to make sure that he had all his materials, then decided to drive to the college. As he arrived on campus, he kept an eye out for Bill, but didn't see him anywhere. Which was hardly surprising. If Bill had a class that day, he was likely already at his classroom or getting ready. He vaguely wondered if they would have the same same class together. It was a vain thought, a selfish thought, but one he wished were true nonetheless.

Tad followed the campus map until he found his own classroom. It was a dark, windowless room lit only by the light streaming in from the outside hall, and the light of the projector that hung attached to the ceiling, which was currently displaying a slide that read _Fundamentals of Occultism, section_ _1_ on a display screen at the front of the classroom. Several black-lights and jars filled with various organs and body parts were sitting on shelves full of old books lining the walls, and small two-person tables filling the room. The whole room gave off more of the feeling of a mad scientist laboratory than anything, and Tad absolutely loved it.

At the front of the classroom, seated at a large desk, was Professor Pines. As he noticed Tad come into the room, a broad grin spread across his face.  
  
"Ah, Tad! I was wondering when you'd arrive. Why don't you have a seat? We'll start in about ten minutes."

Tad nodded and, wanting to make a good first impression, he sat at a table near the front of the classroom. A few minutes later another boy sat next to him. This boy had white hair and icy blue eyes. The boy lowered his bag onto the floor and carefully took out his textbook and a notebook. Then he took out a hand mirror and stared at his reflection for a few moments.

"Let's see...hair's good...alright now!"  
The boy, who had a southern twang to his voice, turned to Tad with a grin. "Well, now, who do I have the pleasure of bein' table-mates with?"  
  
"Tad Strange." Tad smiled. "Who might you be?"

"Gideon Gleeful, at your service." The boy said, extending a hand towards Tad. In good spirits, Tad shook it.

"Nice to meet you, Gideon."


End file.
